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Lumba Sumba Pass Trek

Equipment List

Clothing and Equipments List
» Pack to pack out - bring enough waterproof bags to carry all non-biodegradable rubbish back down the mountain.
» Remove all unnecessary packaging before leaving home.
» Bring enough warm dry clothes so that you can wrap up rather than burn firewood in the evenings.
» If you are going to trek higher than 5000m or you know it will be cold, buy an aluminum water bottle which can also be used as a hot water bottle at night.
» The easiest way to keep hydrated while trekking is to buy a 1 x liter platypus-drinking bladder to carry in your day pack.
» Make sure to buy proper trekking socks. Don’t buy synthetic socks as these promote sweating and can give you blisters. Always carry a few blister pads in your first aid kit and keep them handy in your day pack.
» Walking poles are very useful while trekking and helpful when descending.
» Please remember that waste disposal and recycling facilitates are limited in Nepal. When buying batteries make sure they are rechargeable and/or high quality so they last longer, and take them home to recycle.

More Lists
There is no definitive list. What you bring will vary according to the area, time of year and the length of your trek. Below is a suggested check list which you should adapt to your own needs. Ask yourself: Will there be snow/how long /high is the trek/are we camping?

Lumba Sumba Pass Trek is recently discovered trekking trail by Nepal government. The trail which was announced by the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal. The trek begins from Suketar, where we arrive after a 7 hour drive from Phidim. We start trekking from Suketar and passes through diverse ethnic groups, cultivated land and animal farms along the Lumba Sumba pass trek.

Lumba sumba pass trek takes trekkers from Kanchenjunga to the Makalu region via the Lumba Sumba Pass. There are occasional sightings of the Snow Leopard and the Red Panda along Lumba Samba Pass trail. The Lumba Sumba Pass at a height of 5,177 meter above sea level is the highest point of Lumba sumba pass trek. The three week trek ends at Num or Chichila, from where we drive to Tumlingtar and then to the Tumlingtar Airport where the flight to Kathmandu awaits us.

Lumba Sumba pass trek area is rich in flora and fauna and one can see different birds and wildlife species, including the endangered snow leopard and red panda along the route. There are a number of high mountain lakes in Olangchung Gola. The route goes through two of Nepal’s best preserved protected areas, the Kanchanjunga Conservation Area and the Makalu Barun National Park. Through the route, one can also trek to the base camps of Mt Kanchanjunga and Mt Makalu. Similarly, the Tamor and Arun River systems can be the other attraction for travelers. These two rivers are the major tributaries of the mighty Sapta Koshi River. The route encompasses alpine grass lands, rocky outcrops, dense temperate and sub-tropical forests, and low river valleys. Apart from natural beauty, trekkers can also explore cultural heritage like monasteries, chhortens, temples and prayer walls. And to add to the flavor, the festivals of different ethnic people living in harmony only serve to make the native culture livelier.

Day 01 Arrival in Kathmandu and transfer to hotel
You will be warm welcomed at airport and then you will be transferred to hotel. Overnight at Hotel

Day 02 Rest, restricted area permit issue day, preparation and trip briefing day.
This day is for your rest after such a long international flight to Nepal. On day time you can visit local market to buy you personal things for the trek. Evening, we will introduce you our trekking staff and provide trek briefing. Overnight at Hotel

Day 03 Early morning flight to Bhadrapur and immediately drive to Phidim
We will catch domestic flight to Bhadrapur roughly around 10:30 am. The flight time will be around 45 minutes. After reaching Bhadrapur airport, we will have quick lunch and then immediately drive to Phidim which will take about 7 hours drive. Overnight at Lodge

Day 04 Early morning drive to Suketar
Early morning we will drive to Suketar with narrow driving road and twist and turns with nice view of landscape. Overnight at tented camp

Day 05 Trek to Mitlung
The first day trek starts from Suketar The trek passes through beautiful cardamom fields and Alnus trees (Uttis) until Hangdewa VDC which takes around two and half hours. On the way, there are small tea sops at Aangshyuan Pati. From Panisar, the trek is downhill until the suspension bridge. Afterwards the trek progresses along the bank of Tamor River to Mitlung - a walk of around two hours. Mitlung is our destination for the day as it has good camping sites. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 06 Trek to Chhiruwa
The trek passes along the banks of Tamor River on the second day. It is a pleasing walk until Mukture- 40 minute walk from Mitlung. From Mukture, the trail is uphill for half hour then descends through Ulnus and Schima wallachiana mixed forest to Sinwa Bazar (980m) at Linkhim VDC. We can reach Sinwa Bazar is a good place for lunch. It is a small market with facilities like drug store, groceries and a police station. After Lunch, the trek runs along the Tamor River until Tawa Village. Tawa Village has a small tea shop. The trek runs uphill from here until we reach the KCAP entrance gate (1300m) at Thiwa Village. From here, the trek gradually descends until Chiruwa- our destination for the day. Chiruwa (1246m) is a small market with couple of lodges and good camping sites. It is a popular stopover for tourists and locals alike. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 07 Trek to Lelep
This day also the trek runs along the mighty Tamor river. At the start of the trek, there are two big stones with religious significance. The trek passes through Ulnus trees passes until we reach a big landslide that takes around half an hour to cross. After a walk of two and half hours from Chiruwa through beautiful cardamom gardens, we reach Taplethok (1340m) for lunch. It is a small market with some tea shops. There is also a KCAP checkpoint at Taplethok. After lunch, it is a pleasing walk for about an hour until Phembu (1486m.) From Phembu, it is an uphill climb for about two and half hours to Lelep (1695m), our destination for the day. The KCAP headquarters is in Lelep. Similarly, there is a police station, some tea shops, groceries and hotels. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 08 Trek to Iladanda
After breakfast, the trek runs along the bank of Tamor River through dense forest that offers good habitat for different wildlife species. You can see some wild species if you lucky. We crossed a suspension bridge, it is an uphill climb through pine forest for about half an hour until we reach a monastery at Lungthung. From there, the trek gradually descends after about half an hour and we reach Gowatar (1805m) for lunch. Gowatar is a small settlement with a few houses. Near the village, there is a big stone and it is believed that only the religious people can move them. After a walk of around half hour from Gowatar, we reach a place that offers spectacular views of two waterfalls about 80 meters tall. A walk of about half an hour from here takes us to Kasrturi. After crossing Tamor, River, it is an uphill climb for about 40 minutes until we reach a resting place known as Chautara in local dialect. Another 20 minutes walk will take us to our camping site Ila Danda (2051m). The place offers panoramic view of snowcapped peaks including the small Kasturi peak and Tamor River. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 09 Trek to Selep
The walk on the fifth day is pleasing as it passes through Ulnus and Rhododendron forest for about an hour until we reach a suspension bridge at Malinge Jungle. After crossing the suspension bridge, the trek passes through dense bamboo groves. The place is popular among trekkers as the habitat of red Panda. If you are lucky, we might catch a sight of red panda from the trail itself. After a total walk of three and half hours from Iladanda, we reach Magawa (2435m) for lunch; the trail passes through maple and Ulnus forest. There is a big landslide on the way and trekkers must be careful while crossing it. After a walk of about one and half hour, we reach Selep (2525m), our destination for the day. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 10 Trek to Olangchun Gola
This day trek runs along the bank of Tamor River leading to a place called Jongin (2640m), a flat land surrounded by snow capped hills, after a walk of about an hour. Another 40 minutes walk through rhododendron forest from Jongin, takes us to a suspension bridge near by Ramite. After an uphill walk of about an hour, we reach Ramite (2685m) for lunch. At Ramite, we can see mixed forest of Deodar and rhododendron. We see a beautiful waterfall after a walk of about an hour from Ramite. If you are lucky, you might be rewarded with the views of red panda from here. We caught the first glimpse of Olangchung Gola after a walk of around 45 minutes from the waterfall, we finally reach the camping site at Olangchung Gola (3208m) Olangchung Gola is a beautiful Sherpa village with around 45 houses, a 465 years old monastery with golden manuscript and KCAP office. There is also a sub-health post, a primary school and a border police station at Olangchung Gola. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 11 Rest for AMS and explore Gumba
This day we visit to Deki Chholing Gumba(465 yrs old Monastry) to observe the Buddhist culture. It is a significant place to visit as we can understand traditional Buddhist religion. Aferwards returning to campsite rest for coming day hard walk to uphills and to be safe from Altitude sickness.

Day 12 Trek to Langmale
The trek in the next three days will pass through complete wilderness. However, piles of stones along the way act as signs posts, showing us our direction. The trek passes through pine and rhododendron forests. After a walk of two and half hours, we reach a place called Jadak (3635m) for lunch. A walk of three hours on snowy track will take us to our camping site at Langmale (3893m). Overnight at tented camp.

Day 13 Trek to Pass Camp
The nine day trek can be interesting as snow leopard have been sighted numerous times from this trek. The trek runs along the Tamor River and on the other side of the river lies dense rhododendron forest. After a walk of about three hours, we reach Yangetar (4203m) for lunch. Another three hours walk after lunch will lead us to our camping site at pass Camp (4700m). Overnight at tented camp.

Day 14 Trek to Yak Kharka by crossing Lumba Sumba Pass
This would be the most difficult yet most memorable day of this trek. This day trek will pass through the Lumba Sumba pass (5177m). The trek climbs a bit up and again runs down. It is better to take packed lunch, as there are no good camping sites around. After a walk of about four and half hours from pass camp, we climb the Lumba Sumba La and descend down to Yak Kharka (4595m). Overnight at tented camp.Day 15Trek to Thudum
The trek is downhill from Yak Kharka as we come back to civilization after tiring walk for three days. After a walk of about three and half hours, we came across two roads one to Lhasha in Tibet and the other toward Thudam . We prepared our lunch at this place. A walk of about three hours takes us to Thudam for the night accommodation. Thudam (3571m) is a small village with around 30 houses of Sherpa people. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 16 Trek to Yak Kharka
The twelfth day trek runs along the banks of Modek Chheju Khola and Chujung Khola. The trail offers panoramic view of peaks in the Makalu range. On the way you see lots of small bushes and bamboo groves-the best habitat for red panda. If you are lucky, you can see this endangered species. It is better to carry packed lunch, as it is difficult to find drinking water along the trail. After a walk of about six hours from Thudam, we reach Yak Kharka (2877m) for the night halt. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 17 Trek to Chyamtang
This day walk passes through dense rhododendron forest. As there are no village on the way and also there are numerous side trails. After a walk of about three hours from Yak Kharka, we reach a place called Yak Kharka 1 for lunch. From Yak Khara 1, we can clearly see Chyamtang (2229m). Arun River, Ridha Village and the road that leads to Kimathanka. After lunch, the trek is all downhill for about three hours until we reach Arun River. After crossing the suspension bridge over the Arun we enter inside Makalu Barun National Park area. The trek rolls uphill for about an hour until Chyamthang, our destination for the day. Chyamthang (2229m) is a small village where Sherpas are the dominant population. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 18 Rest after hard walking
This day we take rest to regain our strength and be refreshed after such a long hard walk in previous days. This day we can visit to a monastery nearby to observe Buddhist culture.

Day 19 Trek to Hatiya
The trail on the day passes through rhododendron forest. The walk is easy as chirping of birds make you feel refreshed. The trail is one of the popular places for birding as we are entering Arun Valley that is home to several bird species. A walk of about two and half hours from Chyamthang take us to Gimbar Village (2203m) for lunch. Gimbar Village offers spectacular view of snowcapped peaks in the Makalu range. From Gimbar, the walk is easy and after a trek of about three hours we reach Hatiya (1585m) for the night stay. Overnight at tented camp

Day 20 Trek to Gola
The trek on the day runs along the banks of Arun River. After a walk of about two and half hours from Hatiya, we reach the confluence of Arun and Barun rivers(Barun Dovan)with Barun waterfall and Mahadev Temple. After having lunch near the river confluence, the trek progress towards Gola - our destination for the day. A walk of around two and half hours after lunch takes us to our camping site at Gola. Gola is a very small village with 12 houses. Sherpa, Rai and Tamang people reside here. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 21 Trek to Hedanga Gadi
The trek passes through paddy fields on the day - a sign that we are at lowlands now. The walk is pleasing as the trail makes a short descent, but again makes a short climb. After a walk of about two and half hours from Gola, we reach Pathibhara (not to be confused with the Pathibhara temple in Taplejung district) for lunch. Pathibhara (1520m) is a small Gurung village with tea shops, groceries and some hotels. The trail after lunch passes through agricultural land and we can find plenty of water sources and small settlements along the way. We reach Hedanga Gadi (1179m) -our destination for the day- after a walk of around three hours from Pathibhara. Gadi is a place of great historical significance as Nepali Army fought bravely with invading Tibetan Army at this place and chased them away. Gadi is a small village market with a health post, a school and a police station. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 22 Trek to Num
This day a walk about two and half hours from Hedanga Gadi takes us to Num. From Gadi, the trek is about an hour downhill till the Arun River. Here we can also see Arun III hydropower dam. After crossing the river, an uphill climb of about one and half hour takes us to the Num village (1572m). Though Num is linked with motorable road, it is seasonal. So we take rest here. Overnight at tented camp

Day 23 Trek to Chichila
This is the last day of the trek and we walk through rough motor road to Chichila. After reaching Chichila we will celebrate the success of the trip with our staffs.

Day 24 Drive to Tumlingtar
Early morning we drive to Tumlingtar nearby airport. Overnight in Lodge/camp

Day 25 Fly to Kathmandu and transfer to Hotel
This day we catch the domestic flight to Kathmandu around 11:50 hrs. of around 45 minutes. After arriving TIA domestic airport of Kathmandu you will be transferred to Hotel. Overnight at Hotel

Day 26 Rest and final shopping day
This is a free day. You can enjoy the day as you like resting in hotel or visiting tourist area for final shopping for memorandum.